Artist Q&A | Two Dimes

I'm a Canadian artist/graphic designer currently living in Long Beach, California.

I go by the Two Dimes which is both the name I illustrate under and the name of my company Two Dimes Design which I run along with help from my awesome husband.

I'm not really sure what compels me to work as Two Dimes as opposed to my real name. When I was in my early 20's I was much more into graffiti, and for obvious reasons no one tags their real name. I think it was through those years that I really enjoyed making art that people recognized, but weren't able to identify aside from the name.

These days I'm not so concerned with being anonymous, but I do like to try and separate my online art/artists persona from my personal life.

When did you start designing?

I've been drawing and into anything art-related for as long as I can remember.

My family was pretty broke growing up, and I was a latchkey kid with a lot of time to kill. Pencils and paper were always around since they were cheap, and that's probably where my love for art started. I learned early on what you didn't have, you could either make or at the very least, imagine.

Tell us more about your style.

My style is something that's ever-evolving.

I feel like I'm constantly mixing up techniques and materials trying to find something I like enough to stick with it. I go through phases (usually in my illustrating techniques) that are basically dictated by my attention span. When I'm really starting to loathe the process I know I need to mix it up. I get bored doing the same thing.

However, a lot of artists that I most admire have really defined styles. And they're so damn good at them because they've been putting their time into a more specific area/technique. Sometimes I wish I could just pick one thing and stick with it all the way through, and other times I don't think I could hack it mentally.

I'm hoping as I keep going I'll figure out something I feel more comfortable calling my own style.

As a pre-teen my influences came from completely inappropriate places, scrambled late-nite channels that were too old for me, swiping my dad's porn magazines, Frazetta-style naked fantasy babe posters. I remember getting pulled aside in grade 2 because I was putting cleavage on my paintings of females. I'm not really sure what specific big-breasted woman ruled my formative years, but I've been intrigued by over-sexualizing the subjects in my work for a long time.

When I was a teenager I discovered Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl, Gorillaz), Daniel Clowes (Ghost World, David Boring), Peter Bagge (The Bradleys) and Paul Pope (Heavy Liquid, 100%) those guys had a huge influence on how I started approaching my technique.

Graphic novels, especially coupled with a slice-of-life type story are my absolute favorites.

Now I find art-wise I do my own thing, but I'm influenced by other faucets of artists I admire. I look up to people who not only have their own unique style and technique, but are hardworking, nice and humble. Alex Garant and Phil Guy are the first two to come to mind. Two amazing artists, great style, awesome work ethic and on top of that they're just down-to-earth, nice people.

I love seeing good people working hard at what they love, and that's all I really want to do as well.

Tell us some random fun facts about yourself

I love sewing and my mom taught me how to use the machine at a young age.

One day I stepped on the pedal way too hard and the needle tip broke off and flew into my eye. Apparently I was almost blinded but I came out completely OK, my mom was freaked out but I don't remember much.

Aside from art, my goal in life is to live on a quiet chunk of rural land with my husband and run an animal hospice.

I grew up as a fat kid who was bullied up until about 15. Since then I've slowly been figuring out my own path to health and now I'm pretty passionate about it. When I'm not drawing I'm usually at the gym lifting weights or in the kitchen making super yummy and healthy meals.

I love, love, love camping. My husband and I have explored a good chunk of the California coastline this year and have stayed at some awesome spots. We've found secret hot springs and seen lots of woodland animals and camped on mountains.

The older I get the more I want to be outside and just surrounded by nature. I love it.

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